Rail-fastening device



L. FRITZ.

RAIL FASTENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.21, 1919.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

' manner that they will not spread.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS FRITZ, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

RAIL'FASTENING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs F RITZ, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, British North America, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Fastening Devices,of which the following is a specification.

The invention has particular reference to rail fastening devices by which the parallel rails of a railroad track are securely fastened to the cross ties of the track and braced and connected together in such a The invention is in the nature of a pair of rail chairs provided with means for ef-' fectively clamping the rails to the cross ties and provided with means whereby the rail chairs are connected together so as to prevent them fromrelative movement.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views: I

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a railroad track, a tie and one of the devices constructed in accordance with this invention being shown in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the railroad track and one of the devices.

Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the plane inclicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of one of the base plates.

' Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the outer rail braces.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of one end of one of the tie plates.

In the embodiment illustrated the numeral l designates one of the cross ties of a railroad track. Placed on the upper side of the tie adjacent its ends is a pair of base plates 2, which are preferably of rectangular configuration having their outer ends upturned along their entire length as indicated at 3 to form flanges and the side portions of their inner ends upturned as indicated at 4: to form pairs of short flanges.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 21,

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

1919. Serial No. 332,327.

The intermediate portions of the inner ends of the plates 2 are extended beyond the flanges in the plane of the plates, the exbraces which are formed from sheet metal plates of substantially rectangular configuration. These plates are adapted to be placed upon the outer ends of the base plates 2 and are provided with spike receiving apertures 11' arranged to aline with the apertures 7 and rivet receiving apertures 12 arranged to aline with apertures 8 of the plates 2. The outer edges of the brace plates 10 abut or rest against the upturned ends 3 of the base plates. The intermediate portions of the brace plates 10 are pressed upwardly so as to form lugs or shoulders 13 adapted to bear against the webs of the adjacent rails. The inner edges of the plates 10 on opposite sides of the shoulders 13 are bent upwardly out of the plane of said plates 10 to extend over the base flanges of the rails. The plates 10 after being properly positioned upon the base plates 2 are riveted to the latter by means of rivets 14 which are extended through alined openings 8 and 12.

The invention also contemplates the use of inner rail braces 15, which are also substantially rectangular in configuration and are provided at their outer edges with upwardly and outwardly inclined portions 16 adapted to fit over the base flanges of the rails. These brace plates 15 are adapted to have their inner edges rest against or abut the upturned inner edges or flanges 4 of the base plates 2. The plates 15 are provided with apertures arranged so as to aline with the apertures 9 in the base plates 2.

The numeral 17 designates a tie plate which is long and narrow and has its ends downturned for engagement with openings 6 in the base plate 2. The intermediate portion of the tie plate 17 is provided with a spike receiving aperture.

In assembling the complete device, the

outervbraces v are placed upon the outer ends of the base plates 2 and riveted thereto by means of the rivets 14. The base plates carrying the outer braces are then placed in properposition ,upon'the tie l and spikes 18 are passed through the alined openings 7 and 11 and into the tie. The rail sections 19 are then placed upon the base plates Edwith the outer portlons of'their base flanges inserted under the upturned inner edges of the braces 10 and so that their webs abut against the shoulders 13 of the braces 10. The innerbraces 15 are then ends engaging'over the inner portions of V put in position with their inner ends resting against the upturned inner end portions of the plates 2'and with their upturned outer the base fiaiigesof the rail sections. Aperthe elongated apertures 6 of the .base plates" tures in the braces'lO will then be {alined with the apertures 9 in the base plates 2, and spikes are'then passed through these ap- V er tures and'embedded in the'tie 1. After "the rail sections have thus been securely clampedto the base plates by means of the inner and outer braces, the tie plate 17 is placed upon the tie between'the base plates with its'downturned ends inserted through 2,'and a spike 20 is driven through the intermediate aperture of the tie plate into the cross'tie 1. This tie plate serves to hold the base plates 2 together so that they cannot move relatively. to one another. Spreading of therail sections is thereby prevented, and in view of the factthat the railsectionsare securely clamped to the base plates by means of theinner and outerbraces, they will not work loose and cause derailment'or acci dents. V e

The invention'is of simple, cheap and durableconstruction, is easily assembled or ap vplied, and is well adapted for the purpose for whichit is designed. Various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. A device of the class described comprising a pairof substantially rectangular base plates having their outer ends upturned and their inner ends provided with lateral extensions and upturnedportions, outer rail braces riveted to the outer ends of said base plates and having their outer edges abutting the upturned outer'ends of said base plates, inner rail braces secured to the innerlends of said base plates and having their inner edges abuttingftheupturned inner ends of said base plates and the adjacent ends of said 7 braces being shaped to receive and clamp rail sections thereunder, and a tie plate havingits ends coupled to the extensionsof said base plates. V

2. [i device of the class describedcomprisinga pair of base plates, outer rail braces secured to the outerends of said base plates,

the intermediate portions of said braces being pressed upwardly to formgweb engaging shoulders, the inner edges of; said outer braces on opposite sides of said shoulders being provided with upwardly extending flanges adapted to engage the base flanges of the rail sections,inner rail braces, secured ,to the inner ends. of said base plates and provided at their inner edges with upwardly extending flanges adapted to engag'the base flanges of the 

